The invention relates to heat exchangers, for a motor vehicle in particular, and more specifically to a device for assembling an affixed component onto a metal receiving part of such a heat exchanger.
Heat exchangers of this type usually comprise a tube bank formed by a multiplicity of tubes and of fins, as well as at least one manifold mounted at one end of the bank. In the field of motor vehicles, the heat exchanger is generally either a radiator for cooling the engine, or a radiator for heating the passenger compartment, or an evaporator of the air-conditioning circuit, or else a condenser of the air-conditioning circuit.
It is generally necessary to be able to assemble at least one affixed component onto such a heat exchanger, for example in order to provide for the heat exchanger to be fixed onto the structure of the vehicle, or else in order to provide for an accessory to be fixed onto the heat exchanger.
Thus, in the majority of applications, this affixed component constitutes a fixing element.
The assembling of such an affixed component onto a manifold of the heat exchanger generally poses no particular difficulty. This is because, when this manifold is made of plastic, it is not generally necessary to provide an affixed component s this component can usually be molded integrally with the manifold itself.
Likewise, when the manifold is made of metal, it is easily possible to fix the affixed component either mechanically or else by brazing.
In fact, difficulties are usually countered for assembling an affixed component when the metal receiving part forms part of the tube bank of the exchanger.
This is because such a tube bank comprises a multiplicity of tubes and of fins, these fi s possibly being either flat fins traversed by the tubes of the bank, or else fins in the form of corrugated spacers arranged between the tubes. In this latter case, the corrugated fins and the tubes are assembled together by brazing.
The assembling of such an affixed component onto a heat exchanger, in particular onto the tube bank thereof, also poses practical difficulties because of the particular shapes which these affixed components have to possess.
When these components are made of metal, they can be fixed by riveting, which poses problems of corrosion resistance.
It is also known to produce them from plastic, which makes it possible to obtain specific shapes, but the fixing of such affixed plastic components poses practical difficulties.
One object of the invention is at least partially to mitigate these and other drawbacks of the prior art.
According to a first aspect the invention provides a device for assembling an affixed component onto a metal receiving part of a heat exchanger, wherein the affixed component is of molded plastic and is capable of being fitted onto the receiving part, and wherein provision is further made for a crimping component suitable for at least partially enveloping the affixed component and including crimping means suitable for being engaged in the receiving part in order to secure the affixed component to the receiving part.
Hence, the affixed component is produced from plastic and it is secured to the heat exchanger by means of a crimping component, of specific shape, which comes into engagement with the receiving part of the heat exchanger.
That being so, it is possible to produce an affixed component, for example a fixing component, possessing a specific shape obtained by molding and capable of being secured onto the heat exchanger by means of the crimping component.
Thus the affixed component is not itself assembled directly onto the heat exchanger, but it is held secured to it by the crimping component, thus being held xe2x80x9csandwichedxe2x80x9d.
Advantageously, the affixed component is suitable for fitting onto the receiving part by shape interlocking.
The device of the invention applies in particular to the case in which the receiving part forms part of a tube bank of the heat exchanger.
In this case the affixed component advantageously assumes a U-shaped cross section with a web and two branches arising from the web, so as to sit over one end face of the tube bank.
In one embodiment, each of the branches of the affixed component includes at least one aperture for the crimping means to pass through.
The affixed component is advantageously produced from polypropylene.
In one preferred embodiment, the crimping component comprises a plate able to come into external abutment against the affixed component, and to which the crimping means are attached.
This crimping component is preferably produced from a corrosion-resistant metal material, for example from stainless steel.
The crimping means preferably comprise folding lugs.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the affixed component is molded integrally with at least one fixing lug.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a heat exchanger equipped with at least one affixed component which is assembled onto a receiving part of the said exchanger, wherein the affixed component is of molded plastic and is capable of being fitted onto the receiving part, and wherein provision is further made for a crimping component suitable for at least partially enveloping the affixed component, the assembly being by means of a device including crimping means suitable for being engaged in the receiving part in order to secure the affixed component to the receiving part.
Preferably the affixed component is suitable for fitting onto the receiving part by shape interlocking.
Advantageously the receiving part forms part of a tube bank of the heat exchanger, wherein the affixed component has a U-shaped cross section with a web and two branches arising from the web, so as to sit over one end face of the tube bank.
Conveniently each of the branches of the affixed component includes at least one aperture for the crimping means to pass through.
Advantageously the affixed component is of polypropylene.
Preferably the crimping component comprises a plate able to come into external abutment against the affixed component, and to which the crimping means are attached.
Advantageously the crimping component is produced from a corrosion-resistant metal material.
Conveniently said corrosion-resistant metal material is stainless steel.
Preferably the crimping means of the crimping component comprise folding lugs.
Advantageously the affixed component is molded integrally with at least one fixing lug.